Buddy’s veterinarian has nicknamed Buddy “The Energizer Bunny” because he’s quickly adapted to being lame. In the photo above he’s acquired a stance that stabilizes him while eating.
Despite the critics, I have found Pastor Norman Vincent Peale’s books very helpful and inspirational. When I ran Cross Country in high school, a teammate gave me a copy of his book, “You Can If You Think You Can.” I wasn’t raised in a Christian religion, so the book was not only the first Christian book I’ve ever read, but was also the first book that presented Jesus, and God, in a friendly light.
But I believe his broadly applied application of Philippians 4:13 is not quite correct.
“I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.”
I can repeat this verse out loud as my own personal mantra, but in my heart of hearts, I know that not only I cannot do all things, but God hasn’t designed me to do all things.
I not only have limitations, but God has created me with certain skills and heart desires to guide me in a particular direction. And no one person can do all things. The Church praises the superstars, but most Christians are part of a group accomplishing great things for Christ.
I think Pastor Andrew Farley has the correct interpretation, based upon verse 12, preceding the oft quoted verse 13:
“I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”
Pastor Farley says verse 13 is not about being enabled by God to accomplish a particular goal, but is about God walking alongside us to face every circumstance of life.
The Bible has multiple verses about our Great Shepherd leading and guiding us, the most famous being Psalm 23:4:
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.”
When interpreted correctly, Philippians takes the pressure off of me that God has the expectation that I can be a Super Christian and accomplish spectacular results with Christ’s help.
It’s freeing to realize that Christ actually promises to help be through whatever circumstances this life throws at me.
And as we know, “The truth sets you free (John 8:32).”
I think this takes the stress off our shoulders to accomplish spectacular deeds or achievements, and reassures us of God’s attention to survive or thrive during our sojourn here.
Hope this helps you as it did me.
God bless.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
The best thing that’s ever happened to me was to give my life to Jesus, to accept Him as Lord—God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23)—and Savior: Who died for all our sins.
Won’t you please give your heart to Jesus now? And experience the joy of knowing that the God of the Bible is real?
If so, please repeat the below, out loud if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask You to forgive my sin and cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I’m sorry for my sin and want new life in Jesus. I ask Jesus to be both my Lord and Savior. Please give me Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Please teach me how much You love me. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.
If you’ve prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible as it’s your soul food and the main way God speaks to you. I suggest starting with the book of Matthew and reading forward.
Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) or http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message).
God bless you as you start your new walk with Jesus. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
I love Buddy with all my heart, but some mornings I’m tired and want to be left to myself. But I have to get up and walk Buddy, as we live in a condo with only a balcony. Then I prepare his breakfast and pills before my own. Some days I just don’tfeel like doing it, but Buddy is my responsibility.
Similarly, there’s times when our feelings don’t match up with God’s commands. As Christians we’re under grace and not the Law, but God’s rules still work to help us lead happier and more prosperous lives. We’re also commanded not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), and we do that by not listening to Him and disobeying His leading.
One area people are particularly susceptible to disobey God and follow their feelings is in the area of sexual relationships. God’s commands demand one behavior, but our feelings pull us strongly toward a relationship, or behavior, we know displeases God.
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God…Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.”—the Apostle Paul, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, 8
Now as Christians we can still choose to disobey God and, thereby, grieve the Holy Spirit; since He indwells the believer, we’ll be miserable till we repent. We still have free will as believers.
But we are supposed “to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).”
Do we please God by following our passions? Because feelings are not only fleeting but changeable.
Or by obeying His Word, the Bible?
God promises that we’re blessed when we obey Him:
“But without faith it’s impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”—Hebrews 11:6
I’m thinking about this because in the past I tried so-called Christian dating sites and the majority of the men wanted to engage in premarital sex, which God expressly forbids (Hebrews 13:4). So I left the sites.
Every day, as believers, we can choose to disobey God and be miserable—or defy our feelings, obey God, and be blessed.
It’s all a matter of whether we trust God more than our feelings.
He loves us. And wants to lead us in the paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3).
God forgives our sin. We can always confess our sin and choose to repent and get back onto the right path.
It’s all a matter of: Do you want to be miserable?
Or content, knowing God is in control and not your feelings?
It’s all up to you—and me.
And the Holy Spirit. We’re not left alone in our struggle.
“Blessed be the Lord , because He has heard the voice of my supplications! The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.”—Psalm 28:6-7
Prayer, honest conversation, and singing praises helps a lot.
And maybe a brisk walk.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
If you do what you know is is wrong, but don’t feel God’s Holy Spirit convicting you, then you should truly examine your heart whether you actually believe Jesus is God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23), died for your sins (1 Peter 2:24), and rose bodily from the dead (Romans 10:9).
Please don’t let pride get in the way of recognizing the truth about yourself. God loves you and wants to be your Lord and best friend. Jesus promises never to leave nor forsake His followers (Hebrews 13:5). But you must submit to His authority to be saved. The demons believe that Jesus is God and rose from the dead, but they aren’t saved.
Don’t be like the demons. Choose life obeying Jesus instead.
If you’re ready to receive Jesus, please pray the following, out loud if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for grieving You and ask for forgiveness of my sins. I also ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I believe that He is God, died for my sins, and rose bodily from the dead. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. And show me how much You love me. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. And please start reading the Bible as it’s your soul food and the main way God speaks to you. And please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized.
If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these two ministries, which also have apps, if that‘s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message).
May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
God bless you as you start your new life in Christ.
When I was a teenager, I’d walk my poodle, Penny, and talk to God for at least an hour. Sometimes poor Penny sat on the bed with me as I poured out my teen angst and concerns to the Lord. Although I wasn’t born again nor understood who Jesus was yet, I believed there was a God Who heard me.
That poor dog!
Over a decade later I became born again. And although I accepted Christ was the Lord God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23), I then started talking to God like a holy person was supposed to: interceding for people and making other mighty requests that an Almighty, caring God could answer.
And expressing thanks, of course, trying to focus on the silver lining of life and its events.
But over the years I’ve had one problem after another. My pastor talks about the valley every Christian will have to go through eventually. But I’d like to get out of the valley once in a while! Some of us just seem to stay there in the desert without understanding why and if we get out of the valley, we’re right back in another with little rest!
Even when not engaging in any willful disobedience.
So this past holiday season I asked God: “What’s up with that? Why can’t I get a break from things going awry?”
Psalm 55:17 provides an answer:
“Evening and mourning and at noon, I will complain and murmur, and He will hear my voice.”
What, Dawn? Have you lost it?
I sensed that God was trying to pull me back into a true friendship with Him. To not see Him just as The Big Guy Who answers prayers, but also as my friend Who wants to hear from me. Who wants to be the Heavenly Father Who listens to his child talk about her day, her feelings, her concerns, and her worries.
To engage with Him and not just talk to Him.
So I think God trying to coax me into opening up my heart to Him once again as I used to as a teen. After all, when everything’s going great, I don’t have much to complain or murmur about.
God wants a true relationship with us, to be a friend and not just a Guy Who Answers Prayers.
Now it’s OK to make requests. In the verse before, 16, David cries out:
“As for me, I shall call upon God, and the Lord will save me.”
But I have to remember that He’s also my best friend Who knows me more intimately and completely than anyone else ever could, Who understands me better than anyone else ever could, and is always there to call out to when no one else can always be there for me.
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”—Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6
Please say “hello” to your best friend every day.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
Even though I spoke for hours upon hours to the Lord as a teenager, pouring out my heart to Him, it was a one-way conversation as I was not yet born again, filled by God’s Spirit.
Only His sheep hear His voice (John 10:27).
If you’re unsaved, generally the Lord will have only one message for you to hear: Follow Me. Become born again by My Spirit. Come to Me for life (Matthew 16:24, John 3:3, 5:40).
God wants to be your Heavenly Father and best friend. Will you please accept His invitation to enter into relationship with Him?
“Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”—Apostle Paul, Romans 10:13)
The Lord’s name is Jesus, the God Who came in human flesh (Mathew 1:23) to die for your sins so that you don’t have to, and rose bodily from the dead to give you resurrection life through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Do you believe this?
If not, will you ask Him for the faith to believe?
If you’re ready to enter into a love relationship with God, please repeat the below prayer, out loud if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I call on Jesus to be my Savior and God Who died for my sins. I’m sorry for my disobedience and humbly ask for Your forgiveness. Please be my friend and Father and constant companion, my Good Shepherd Who will lead me and guide me now and forever. Please give me Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In the name of Jesus, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily as it’s your soul food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul. I suggest starting with the book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand, and reading forward.
Also, join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message).
God bless you as you start your new life in Christ.
When Buddy ran off last year, he was too quick to capture. I couldn’t run fast enough. Fortunately, he stopped to sniff a bush and I was able to convince him to jump into the car for a ride.
The Lord Jesus told His disciple, Peter, during the Last Supper before His arrest that:
“Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.
“But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail;…”—Luke 22:31-32
If Jesus prayed that Peter would not lose his faith after falling away for a brief time, do you think He isn’t willing to do the same for you?
Indeed, there are two clear promises regarding the faith of God’s children.
For Jesus is:
“the author and finisher of our faith.”—Hebrews 12:2
And:
“He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 1:6
Rest assured that the Good Shepherd doesn’t bring sheep into His pasture and then allow them to wander away.
He’s going to continue His sanctifying work within His children till the Return of Christ, His Second Coming.
I know my furpal. If another dog walked into my home who wasn’t Buddy, I’d immediately wonder why and who its owner was.
Because that dog does not belong in my home.
But we don’t use that same discernment in the church. We just assume that everyone who sits in the pews is a born again believer or is interested in knowing more about Christ, or that anyone who preaches has the Spirit of the Lord.
But there is an event in the Bible that warns this is not necessarily true.
“Then He (Jesus) went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths….Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’ But Jesus rebuked him,…”—Luke 4:31, 33-35
Not only was there an opponent and enemy of God hanging around in the congregation of sincere followers of God, but who also wanted nothing to do with Jesus.
The demonically possessed man was also perfectly capable of speaking openly and emphatically within a group of believers gathered together.
This is a warning not to assume everyone knows, loves, and obeys the Lord who attends or teaches in a church. Always use discernment and evaluate their teaching. If they disobey, or reject Jesus’ clear teachings, do not follow them. And do not allow them to influence you to disregard what God teaches in the Bible.
Please be respectful, as everyone is made in God’s image and He loves them.
But there might be a time to reprove or bring false teaching to the attention of leadership.
And if it’s the leaders who disobey God’s Word, leave the church.
Not everyone who walks through the doors of a church building is owned by Jesus.
Bud is admittedly spoiled. Which greatly concerns me as he’s willful and doesn’t like to listen to me. A family member let him slip out the front door this afternoon, so I panicked, knowing that Buddy wouldn’t listen to me call for him to return to the house. However, he was more interested in following me back through the doorway to safety than running away.
If Bud ran off, he’s too quick for me to catch him.
Some people won’t like this post. But if I’m only repeating what’s already posted out there on the internet ad nauseam, then why bother? I could just post links directing people to other material.
Many Christians have memorized Psalm 23; some have even read the excellent book, “A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23” by W. Phillip Keller; and many follow the Shepherd of our souls; but how many “sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3)” actually trust Him?
“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want… He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His namesake.”—King David, Psalm 23:1, 3
Jesus made it clear several times what His attitude toward His flock is.
1. If they wander off, He goes in search of them:
“What do you think? If a man had a 100 sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the 99 and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he souls find it, assuredly, I say to you , he rejoices more over that sheep than over the 99 that did not go astray?”—Matthew 18:12-13
Jesus doesn’t just wave goodbye when one of His children stray away from the faith. He takes action and goes in search of that Christian to return them to the fold.
2. The Good Shepherd leads His sheep in the paths of righteousness for “HIS namesake” (Psalm 23:3).
Jesus takes action to correct His wandering sheep because His reputation is at stake when someone claims to be born again but is willfully, or deceived by Satan, disobeying.
3. Jesus promises that we’re united with Him through the Holy Spirit once we’re born again. As a result, He will never abandon us to evil nor can anyone or anything separate us from Himself.
“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”—John 10:27-28, 30
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word (the Apostles); that they may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me…I in them, and You in Me…”—John 17:20-21, 23
So, if you believe you can lose your salvation, you may not either understand what being born again means and your salvation—or you are trusting in your own works and efforts to maintain your relationship with Him. You are not trusting Him to seek his wandering sheep and return those sheep back into the safety of His flock.
You don’t have temporary life until you die. You are promised eternal life if you are in Christ Jesus (John 3:16, John 10:27).
Apostle Paul strongly admonished the Galatians about this teaching in his letter, Galatians 3:1-3:
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your eyes Jesus was clearly portrayed as crucified? I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?”
Christ’s crucifixion put to death all human self effort. You’re either one with Christ or not, trusting in Him or yourself.
So you have a choice, dear brother and sister in Christ: standing on sifting sand or on the rock of Jesus Christ; trusting in Him to keep you—or in your own shifting, unstable efforts and moods (Matthew 7:24-26).
Your salvation is not at stake.
But, rather, your ability to rejoice in your salvation and truly feel grateful for being delivered out of slavery in the kingdom of darkness to becoming a sheep in the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:13).
You can exhaust yourself with fear on the hamster wheel of insecurity or…
Dance with joy, little sheep, trusting in His work on the Cross, not your works.
He promises to “never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)”.
So who is your shepherd?
You?
Or Jesus?
***
Please trust in Jesus for your eternal life. Only He can send the Holy Spirit to indwell you and resurrect your dead spirit into eternal life. Other religions can teach you how to behave better, or experts can guide you in self-improvement programs, but only Jesus can give you life (John 5:40).
I spend the time to write these blogs because I waited till I was twenty-eight-years-old to give my life to Jesus. I only regret not doing it sooner. Becoming born again is the most wonderful experience—to know that God is real and loves you—and I want this for you too.
Please, heed my plea and give your heart to Jesus now.
Tomorrow is never guaranteed to any of us.
Repeat the following prayer out loud, if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin and for being my own worst enemy. I call on Jesus Christ to be both my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Please change my heart and teach me how much You love me. Thanks for hearing my prayer. I ask in the mighty name of Jesus, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily as it’s both your soul food and God’s letter to you. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul.
And join a Bible believing church or Bible study, and get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message).
There are other godly ministries out there, but it’s easy to be misled by legalism or false teaching till you know the Bible fairly well.
God bless you. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
I was excited about Buddy’s new feathered tiara. I pictured him smiling joyfully toward the New Year with hope.
Nope. Instead, he looked just as miserable as portrayed in last year’s photo with his Happy New Year’s hat.
Often I have great hopes that don’t become reality. Or others that I’m still hoping will come true, but I’m waiting on God’s timing and blessing. As the Apostle Peter stated, our incredible Creator lives outside of time:
“With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”—2 Peter 3:8
What seems like a long wait to me may not even be a blink of the eye to Jesus.
I’ve been rereading a marvelous book by Pastor John Ortberg: “If You Want To Walk On Water You’ve Got To Get Out Of The Boat.” In Chapter Nine, “Learning To Wait,” he states that waiting on God to answer our prayers demonstrates both our Christian maturity and humility, because trusting in God’s timing is “the opposite of arrogance and boasting, a humble recognition of my limits (page 183).”—ie. I am not God: omnipotent and omniscient.
And, also, “When we wait for something, we recognize that we are not in control… Lower-status people always wait on higher status people (page 183).”
After pondering this material, I immediately thought about the many videos popping up on my YouTube recommended list advising how to manifest reality: your dreams, material goals, etc. Some are posted by supposed Christians and many by unbelievers.
These people are promoting an unbiblical worldview of achieving your goals.
1. Only God “calls things into being things that do not exist (Romans 4:17).” God spoke creation into existence (Psalm 33:9).
To believe that you can manifest reality into existence is similar to the practice of witchcraft, believing that you can cast spells or curses through the power of words or by manipulating the forces of nature or the universe.
2. This practice also demonstrates a lack of humility, trust, and submission to the Lord.
GOD WILL NOT BE RULED OR MANIPULATED BY ANYONE.
If we “pray according to His will,…we know that we have what we asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15).”
If we trust that God “causes all things to work together for our good (Romans 8:28),” then we can bring our requests before God and know that He’ll answer for our benefit; sometimes that answer is to wait till He works things out or “No” because it’s not good for us or He has a better plan in mind.
Satan fell because he wanted to be in control and worshipped. He wants to be his own god and not submit to the will of his Creator.
3. Our prayers are requests, NOT demands.
God is the Lord, not us:
“Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He Who made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3).”
In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus told a parable about three servants who were “entrusted” with talents “according to their ability,” then he left town. The servant he rebuked after his return was the servant who didn’t trust in his master’s good character but feared him, arrogantly stating that he failed to multiply the money he was given because he viewed his master as “a hard man,” who benefited from the work of others.
When we fail to trust God’s goodness, we’re basically slandering Jesus, thinking that He gives us gifts out of improper motives.
Psalm 90 is a marvelous expression of trust in God’s good character, a humble acknowledgement of how transient human life is and that we’re dependent upon Him for reversing unfavorable circumstances:
“Satisfy us in the morning with Your graciousness, that we may sing with joy and rejoice all our days. Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us, and the years we have seen evil…May the kindness of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands (Psalm 90:14-15,17).”
Please, don’t follow the teachings of those who preach and teach that you can manifest your dreams into reality. Instead, humbly wait upon and trust in the Lord’s good character to answer your prayers.
You want the Lord Jesus to bless and guide your life.
Not the enemy of your soul. For Satan told Jesus that he could give the kingdoms of this world to those who worship him (Matthew 4:8-9).
Trust that Jesus loves you.
“He has shown you, mortal one, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”—Micah 6:8
God bless.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
Maybe you’re unhappy because you’re trying to be your own god instead of submitting your life to the Lord and trusting in His guidance.
Jesus is omniscient and omnipresent. He sees the future. What seems the right course of action to a person may actually be leading toward disaster. Only God knows where a chosen path will lead.
Jesus died to pay for your sins. He lived a perfect life as a human being so that He could pay for the sins of others, having no sin of His own to be punished for. After His crucifixion, He rose from the dead to prove that He is also God, that He has the power over death.
You don’t have to continue living a life of regret and defeat. But becoming a Christian doesn’t guarantee health and wealth, as false preachers claim, but does set you onto a new path leading away from self-destructive behavior.
A new Christian is like a baby: You’ll crawl, then totter on wobbly legs till you learn to walk steady. I’m encouraging you to give your life to Jesus, because it’s wonderful to be in relationship with God. But I also want you not to get discouraged after doing so. It takes time to learn about God’s love for you and how He works.
Are you ready to make Jesus your Savior from sin and your Lord, the God Who rules your life? If so, please repeat the below prayer, out loud if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin and ask for Your forgiveness. I call on Jesus to be both my Savior and Lord, my moral authority. I give my life to You. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. And teach me how much You love me. I want to learn to trust You. Thank You for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the Lord, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. You should begin to experience new attitudes and a desire to obey Jesus as you’ve been given a new heart by the power of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. You’re starting to walk a new path in life, so please be patient with yourself as you learn and grow in the knowledge of the Lord.
Please start reading the Bible daily. And join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I recommend these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled by legalism or false teaching until you know what the Bible teaches fairly well.
God bless you. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
As many of you now know, Buddy is a rescue who was abused for three years before I adopted him—furever! At first he was terrified of me, but gradually his focus moved from his awful past to his present life full of love with his new family.
I bought a pocket-sized NASB version of only the Book of Psalms, so that I could focus reading a few chapters every morning without pulling out a heavy book.
Most people focus on Psalm 23. It’s a wonderful Psalm by the ancient king of Israel, David. But there are many other marvelous Psalms that are also worthy of our meditation and focus.
Please join me in culling some of the wonderful gems in the 43 verses of chapter 107 in the Book of Psalms.
Primarily, the Psalm describes the various ways that people get themselves into trouble by acting without God in their lives. But when they acknowledge their need for the Lord’s help, He responds to their cries.
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is forever.”—Verse one
It’s basically a Psalm about how kind God is, rescuing us from our own self-imposed troubles. Unlike Satan, He doesn’t kick us when we’re down, but responds to sincere cries for help.
1. Verse two discusses how God redeems us “from the hand of the adversary.” The Lord Jesus came in the flesh, which is celebrated on Christmas Day, to live a perfect life and redeem us—buy us back—out of Satan’s realm of darkness and transfer us into the kingdom of His beloved Son (Colossians 1:13) by dying for our sins.
We cannot earn this salvation; it is freely given to us when we call upon the name of the Lord to save us (Romans 10:13).
And throughout the Psalm, people call on God for help, which He freely gives to them.
2. Verses 4-9 describes people who are wandering “in a desert region” and in great physical distress. They were lost, unable to find an inhabited city to get help. Unable to get human aid, they turned to God, acknowledging they needed God’s rescue—and “He led them also by a straight way, to go to an inhabited city”.
Which reminds me of everyone’s favorite Psalm:
“He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His namesake.”—Psalm 23:3
When we follow God’s path, we discover that the Good Shepherd’s ways lead out of the confusion in the desert of sin and into green pastures of peace and safety.
3. Verses 11-16 describe people who are enslaved by sin and unable to free themselves. They’re miserable because “they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High. Therefore, He humbled their heart with labor…”
Consequences for sinful behavior are an act of love from God. It causes us to realize our need for Him, to change our destructive behavior, so He allows us to suffer the result of our sin, so that we’ll come to our senses and acknowledge our need to follow Him and not our own desires. When the people in Psalm 107 finally realized, once again, that human effort couldn’t rescue them, they called out to God, who shattered their chains of sin.
4. Verses 17-22 describe people who became seriously ill: “Fools, because of their rebellious way, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted.” But when they acknowledged their sin and repented, how did God help?
“He sent His word and healed them.”—verse 20
Deceased Pastor Norman Peale had many different persons approach him, as detailed in his various books, with serious ailments of various sorts that caused them great suffering and interfered with their careers. What the Pastor often discovered is that these men engaged in serious sin, such as adultery. Their guilt and wickedness was the root cause of their illness and setbacks. Once they confessed their sin, acknowledging their need to follow God’s moral rules and stop rebelling, they became healthy—mentally, physically, and spiritually.
God’s word, the Bible, sometimes is the cure for what afflicts us. He gives us instruction, insight, and hope through the promises in the Scriptures.
5. Verses 23-32 describe men engaged in commerce, who “do business on great waters.” But they encountered a great storm which caused them great fear and distress. But when they called on the Lord to save them, “He caused the storm to be still.”
Sometimes we get busy conducting business, searching for wealth or fame, and forget to include God in our lives. Then we encounter obstacles which are totally beyond our control, which reminds us to seek God.
And, God graciously rescues us.
6. Verses 33-38 describes how God can curse the efforts of wicked people, but bless the labor of good people. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the way is death (Proverbs 14:12).” Sometimes our efforts are not succeeding because we’re compromising our moral integrity. If you’re a child of God, He may delay blessing you till you repent and commit to acting with moral integrity.
7. Lastly, verses 39-42 describe how sometimes we suffer because of the wickedness of other people who oppress us in some way, particularly those in high positions of power. But God graciously delivers us.
Why?
“Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things, and consider the lovingkindness of the Lord.”—verse 43
May we always seek God in time of need, Who has the power to deliver us from circumstances and people too mighty for us to combat alone.
And from our own sin.
Please consider pointing unbelievers to this wonderful Psalm, which describes the many ways God will deliver people from the consequences of sin, if they’re willing to acknowledge their need for a Savior.
And recognize that He’s good.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
“Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”—Apostle Paul, Romans 10:13
It doesn’t matter what kind of trouble you’re in, God is good and loves you. He’s willing to forgive your sin and rescue you from bondage to the Kingdom of Darkness.
He doesn’t discriminate. No matter how far you’ve wandered in the desert, He’s willing to respond to your cries for rescue if you’re willing to repent and call on Jesus to be your Lord and Savior.
Lord: your moral authority and King of your life and
Savior: The one Who died for your sins, taking the punishment you deserve.
No need to get your act together first. Just humble acknowledgment of your need for Him. He knows about it all anyway, so why not confess your need to be delivered from self-destructive behavior?
He loves you and is eager to hear you call out to Him.
After I gave my life to the Lord, the Holy Spirit told me that, “He knew every sin I’ve ever committed, but still loves me very much.”
God already knows you cannot be good. Your sin doesn’t shock Him, regardless of how bad you think it is. He wants to rescue you—if you’ll only call out to Him.
Why not invite Him into your life right now? Don’t delay. Tomorrow is never promised to us.
Please pray the following, out loud if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin and ask for Your forgiveness. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior, and confess that He died for my sins so that I don’t have to be punished for them. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I give my life to You. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. And teach me how much You love me. I need Your help in my life. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Your Son Jesus Christ, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily as it’s your soul food. Just as your body needs food daily to be nourished, so does your soul.
And start attending a Bible-based church or Bible Study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I recommend these two ministries, which also have apps if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled or follow bad teaching till you know the Bible fairly well.
God bless. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
Regardless of what you think about the sport of horse racing, I hope you’ll continue reading and take away what I hope will be a great encouragement to you.
In horse racing there are two main types of winners: front runners and closers.
The front runners will pop out of the gate straight to the front, remain in front throughout the entire track and cross the finish line first. The other horses may challenge the front runner but never manage to edge out to the lead position.
But there is another type of horse that runs last or near the back of the pack for most of the race. They don’t look at all like winners.
But something amazing happens during the race. When the front running horses begin to tire, the closers seemingly catch a second wind and begin to close in on the lead. The horse that looked like it was doomed to finish last or near the back of the pack begins to challenge the leader.
And, amazingly, that horse once near the back closes in and surpasses the lead horse to win the race.
If you’re a front runner, great. Keep running your race and don’t look back. Keep your eyes straight ahead toward the finish line.
But if you’re like me, feeling like you’re trotting along near the back of the pack, take heart.
You can still win your race if you don’t lose heart and give up.
And please remember: There are many races to run. The trainer and jockey agent places the horse in the race they think the horse can win.
If you cooperate and listen to Jesus, He’ll place you in the right race.
“The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O’ Lord, is everlasting;”—Psalm 138:8
Christians’ opinions vary about celebrating Halloween. Some see it as a time for diverting attention to church harvest festivals to encourage church attendance, while others view it as a celebration of evil to be avoided at all costs.
As you can see from my blog titles this month, I view it as an opportunity to draw attention to the Word of God.
Of course, many people see it as just a time to party, eat candy, and wear fun costumes. They don’t attach any particular meaning to it.
Or to dress up their long suffering dogs and cats in costumes.
(Buddy doesn’t suffer long as he doesn’t like to cooperate, unlike his predecessor, Buster, who would do anything to please me.)
Unfortunately, there are many people who dress up in costumes every day and not just during one or two holidays a year. They pretend to be Christians, but their hearts are far from God (Matthew 15:8). They wear the “Christian” mask but are not born again of the Spirit of Christ Jesus.
So, how do we as believers gain discernment as to who is truly born again or not?
Because we can be influenced by bad teaching and influence, or unaware of someone’s need to be witnessed to, assuming they’re believers when they aren’t.
Now, we cannot know someone’s heart. Only God knows a person’s heart (Romans 8:27).
But neither are we to fellowship with false believers (Matthew 7:15). Jesus warns that we need to be wary of accepting people at face value.
You’re likely an honest person like me, so you’d like to believe others are too. But life experience demonstrates that not everyone is who they claim to be. So these are some pointers to help you differentiate true from false believers.
Now, we are saved by faith, not works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Not everyone starts at the same point in the race toward the finish line. But the following are pretty reliable indications of false believers.
1. They claim to love Jesus but hate, or are continually critical of fellow, born again believers.
“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
“And this commandment we have from Him; that he who loves God must love his brother also.”—Apostle John, 1 John 4:20-21
Someone who is always contemptuous of fellow believers, particularly someone who follows the authority of Scripture, does not have the love of Jesus in their heart.
Someone who shows no interest in the welfare of suffering believers or who claims they’re “bitter clingers, clinging to their guns and Bibles,” is not born again.
2. They reject the deity of Jesus Christ.
“By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus has come in the flesh is not of God.”—1 John 4:2-3
Anyone who denies that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23), is not born again. Jesus made this abundantly clear, according to the Apostle John in John 8:24:
“If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
3. They reject the authority of the Word of God.
Anyone who rejects the moral authority of the Bible is rejecting God’s authority.
They might have a dispute with a particular denomination’s interpretation of a Scripture passage or a pastor, but they accept the Scriptures teachings.
It’s natural for a new Christian to thirst for God’s Word, having lived in a spiritual desert all their lives. Someone who claims to have had a conversion experience but has no interest in growing in their faith likely is self-deceived or lying.
The devil and the demons know that Jesus was manifested in the flesh, lived amongst humanity, then died on the Cross. They also know that He rose bodily from the dead. They know that He is God, party of the Trinity. But they do not willingly submit themselves to God’s moral authority (James 2:19).
I’m not referring to temporary backsliders or those who rebel temporarily due to suffering or being deceived by bad teaching.
But if someone claims to love God, yet doesn’t feel the Holy Spirit convicting them, making them miserable for their rebellious spirit, then it’s unlikely the Spirit of God indwells them.
Because God hates sin and “leads us in the paths of righteousness for HIS name’s sake (Psalm 23:3, emphasis mine)”.
4. They deny they’ve sinned.
There’s no true repentance without an acknowledgment that Christ needed to die for our sins so that we can have fellowship with the Father through the Son.
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”—1 John 1:8
Because Who is the embodiment of truth?
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”—Jesus, John 14:6
I have listened to preachers who believe in Christ as Lord and Savior, and in His sin sacrifice for humankind and our need for repentance. Yet deny that we are born sinners. This is a dangerous position to take, as any teaching not founded on the Rock of Christ is slippery sand and can cause our lives to crumble when the inevitable hurricanes of suffering hit our life (Matthew 7:24-27).
5. They encourage you to sin or disobey God.
In other words, they don’t submit themselves to God’s authority, as per point #4 above:
“For certain men have crept in unnoticed,…ungodly men, who turn the grace of God into licentiousness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”—Jude 4
(I strongly urge reading the entire Book of Jude which is only one chapter.)
6. They claim there are many paths to God. You don’t have to believe that Jesus is the only path to Heaven.
But Jesus claims this is false.
“No one comes to the Father except through Me.”—Jesus, John 14:6
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the ONLY true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”— Jesus, John 17:3 (emphasis mine)
7. Most of all, pray. Because we can all be deceived, particularly Christians, because we usually want to believe the best of people. And pride keeps us from heeding God’s warning signals.
I try to pray this every day. I suggest you do so, also, in your own way:
Lord, please sift everything coming through my mind, ear, eye and heart gates through the Holy Spirit. Help me test it against your Word. Help me discern truth from error, fact from fiction. Help me not to jump to conclusions or slander anyone. Help me know if someone is deceiving or misleading me intentionally or intentionally. And help me not to deceive others. Thank you in Jesus’ name.
God promises to answer that prayer.
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”—1 John 5:14-15
Please, every day beware of false prophets and fake sheep (Matthew 7:15). And remember:
“Bad company corrupts good character.”—1 Corinthians 15:33
There are many other Biblical verses to support the points above. The more you familiarize yourself with the truth, the easier it’ll get you spot lies.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
It’s OK to admit you’ve been deceived. It’s humbling, but we’re human. We make mistakes. We sin.
But the worst sin or big mistake is to assume that tomorrow will come and that we can wait to ask Jesus into our hearts.
I hope that the unexpected, recent pandemic brought a new awareness that life brings surprises, including ugly ones.
Why continue putting off a decision that, in my opinion, is the best one you’ll ever make? I have zero regrets giving my heart to Jesus.
Beware of false prophets who claim coming to Christ guarantees prosperity. We come to God because He’s God and we’re not. And to reverse the curse of the Fall, we have to admit that Jesus is the Lord—we’re not—and need to repent of our willful disobedience.
Cone on! If you’ve read this far, then you know Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart, waiting for you to invite Him into your life (Revelation 3:20). Don’t delay!
Please pray the following, out loud if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I‘m sorry for my sin. Please forgive me. I invite Jesus into my life and heart. Please grant me Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. And teach me how much You love me. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily as it’s your soul food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul.
And join a Bible believing church or Bible study. (You’ve got some tips above how to determine a good church or study.) And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest the following two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) or http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message).
There are other godly ministries out there, but it’s easy to be misled by legalism or false teaching till you know the Bible fairly well.
God bless you. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
Meditations About God and Buddy 